Governor Waiguru moves to remedy Kerugoya Hospital woes

Hours after a report from a joint regulatory council’s inspection of Kerugoya County Referral Hospital, Kirinyaga county Governor Anne Waiguru said that the County has since moved to mitigate the effects following the sacking of over 300 casual workers at the facility.

While patients are still raising concerns over the quality of health services, the county government on Wednesday further set aside Ksh.40 million to employ casuals at the hospital and other sub- county hospitals.

According to the report, the Laboratory is not able to perform basic tests such as full haemogram and urinalysis due to obsolete machines and lack/inadequacy of necessary reagents. Random blood sugar stripes were also reported out of stock every so often.

Governor Waiguru however says that the county has determined that officers within the facility were holding LPOs for lab reagents so that patients are sent to private laboratories across the road from the hospital promising disciplinary action on those who will be found culpable.

In the response dated May 15, 2019, Waiguru was keen to note that the hospital has since been thoroughly cleaned and the laundry machine repaired and in service.

According to the county boss, a supplementary budget has also been revised to cater for incineration facilities as well as additional laundry service equipment.

While the report indicated that the county chose to retain 12 casual labourers as security guards who also doubled up as patient attendants, Waiguru has defended the move to sack the casuals saying that the hospital was over staffed with 346 casuals compared to the required capacity of 152 casuals.

” This occasioned the loss of Ksh.3.5 million every month which would otherwise be useful revenue in improving operating conditions at the hospital” said Waiguru.

The governor further intimated plans to expand the hospital noting that construction is underway to increase patient bed capacity to 450 and upgrade the facility to a Level 5 hospital.

”Further substantive actions will be communicated to the board as we continue to work towards a comprehensive remedy to health care in Kirinyaga County,”.